<i>May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him (Rom. 15:13).</i> Each new generation has high hopes for reconciliation among people and nations but in the end faces disappointment.

<i>He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:5).</i> Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others.

October 2014

<i>So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God (Rom. 14:12).</i> The Bible repeatedly warns us to pay attention to spiritual matters—the Lord is to have first place in our lives and be the center of our affections.

<i>He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them (Ps. 145:19).</i> If you could have anything in the world, what would it be? Your answer reveals a lot about who you are.

<i>This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14).</i> When do I pray? Is it only during emergencies or when I need something?

<i>Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).</i> Anyone who studies God's ways soon realizes they are quite different from man's.

<i>I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:4).</i> Fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps us center our attention on the Lord and discover His will so we may act according to it.

July 2014

<i>...able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).</i> Since spiritual discernment is the ability to see life from God's perspective, it requires that we know how He thinks and acts.

June 2014

<i>Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength (Isa. 40:31).</i> In reading through the Scriptures, we see that every time one of God's saints gains a victory, he or she is waiting and trusting in the Lord.

<i>From the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve (Col. 3:24).</i> God commands us to serve one another. However, there will inevitably be difficult people in life who make this mandate challenging.

May 2014

<i>When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense (Luke 12:11).</i> We don't have to react to criticism with anger and self-protection the way the world does.

<i>"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).</i> We can understand why those without Christ are unable to comprehend biblical concepts, but why do those who know Him struggle?

April 2014

<i>The testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:3).</i> Think of patience as a muscle that you have to use in order to see it build. To that end, believers should recognize difficulty as an opportunity to flex their patience.

<b>Unshakable Peace</b> <i>Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).</i> When Satan tells you to worry, God has the opposite in mind.

December 2006

<b>Meditation in Relationship</b> <i>Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation (2 Samuel 7:17).</i> We need to realize that genuine maturity and effectiveness are tied to our relationship with the Lord.

<b>Can God Reach Those With Closed Minds?</b> <i>We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads' (Acts 26:14).</i>

<b>Facing Death</b> <i>Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).</i> A criminal, in the very process of dying, was rescued by Jesus right in front of the mocking crowd.

<b>Praising in Troubled Times</b> <i>Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah (2 Chronicles 20:3).</i> Self-pity is the natural human response to troubled times. Praise focuses our attention on God instead.

<b>Why Our Needs Remain Unmet</b> <i>But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind (James 1:6).</i> If you cannot see God's work in your life, be sure to critically look at yourself from His perspective.

<b>Our Personal Accountability</b> <i>So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12).</i> Godly friends are a rich source of accountability. They can help us discern pure motives and right actions, thoughts, and feelings.

<b>Is it a Need or a Desire?</b> <i>He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32).</i> There's nothing wrong with a desire, as long as it is within the will of God.

October 2006

<b>Death, and the Impact the Cross Had</b> <i>But God did say, "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die" (Genesis 3:3).</i> We focus on living more than dying, but God wants us to understand some vital spiritual truths.

<b>Wisdom for Good Health</b> <i>I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Cor. 9:26-27).</i> Separating spiritual life from the physical is not what God intended.

<b>Expressions of God's Goodness</b> <i>Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).</i> Imagine someone asking if God has been good to you. What comes to mind?

<b>Defending Against Temptation</b> <i>Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7-8).</i> Satan prefers to attack when believers are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (H.A.L.T.).

<b>The Practical Helper</b> <i>We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:12).</i> After praying, have you eventually had a sense of assurance accompanied by knowledge of what to do?

<b>The Holy Spirit's Presence</b> <i>Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting (Acts 2:2).</i> There had been no 'body of Christ' to which all disciples could belong. On Pentecost, all that changed.

<b>Eternal Life: You Can Be Sure</b> <i>I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).</i> In Christ, men and women should have no fear of physical death.

July 2006

<b>Saved by Grace</b> For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).</i> Piling up good works just doesn't get you right with God.

<b>God Desires Your Success</b> <i>But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).</i> God's idea of success begins at the Cross.

<b>Sinning After Salvation</b> <i>My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1).</i> Where are your thoughts taking you today?

<b>Common Areas of Procrastination</b> <i>Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).</i> God has prepared work He wants us to do, and our delays in carrying out His plan constitute disobedience.

<b>Failure: The First Step to Victory</b> <i>I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out (Romans 7:18).</i> Defeat in our lives doesn’t mean we are defeated.

<b>A Healthy Body</b> <i>God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:17).</i> The human form represents the masterpiece of Creation, and God entrusted our bodies to our care.

<b>Faith on Trial</b> <i>Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you (1 Peter 4:12).</i> The heavenly Father always has a purpose for testing believers’ faith.

<b>Believing God Is in Every Situation</b> <i>We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them (Romans 8:28).</i> How can God even use our sin for good?

<b>Is God in Every Circumstance?</b> <i>God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people (Genesis 50:20).</i> God is in both the triumphs and tragedies of life, either sending or permitting them.

<b>The Victory of the Resurrection</b> <i>That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day (2 Corinthians 4:16).</i> Although we may try to ignore it, our earthly frames are deteriorating and will eventually cease to function here on earth.

<b>A Question about the Resurrection</b> <i>Since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died (1 Thessalonians 4:14).</i> A resurrected body awaits every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

<b>Solving Problems Through Prayer</b> <i>At the moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves (2 Chronicles 20:22).</i> Long before a crisis arises, a wise believer will be consistently seeking God.

<b>Passionate Obedience</b> <i>But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).</i> Imagine receiving a beating as a warning to stop talking about Jesus. Would you quit?

<b>Spiritual Joy</b> <i>Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening (Acts 16:25).</i> Dr. Charles Stanley writes we can lose our gladness for several reasons...

<b>Staying Young All Your Life</b> <i>The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon (Psalm 92:12).</i> Some people are old before their 40th birthday; others reach 90 and still seem young. What's the difference?

<b>The Place of Fasting in Prayer</b> <i>And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them... (Matthew 6:16).</i> As we place our body’s physical desires under the Spirit’s control, we let go of our grip on the material world.

<b>Troubled Friendships</b> <i>Who may worship in Your sanctuary, LORD? Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends (Psalm 15:1,3).</i> Second to God, friends are a believer’s most valuable assets.

<b>Learning Spiritual Discernment</b> <i>A person who is living on milk isn't very far along in the Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right (Hebrews 5:13).</i> The Lord does not simply pour knowledge into our heads; we must daily seek His will and study to understand Him better.

<b>Acquiring Spiritual Discernment</b> <i>But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by His Spirit, and His Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets (1 Corinthians 2:10). Sadly, some Christians go through life without realizing two important facts about God...</i>

<b>Passing Down Faith to Others</b> <i>I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois (2 Timothy 1:5).</i> A faith worth passing down is based on biblical truth and the confident conviction that God is who He says and will do all He promises.

<b>Favor in Work</b> <i>Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people (Colossians 3:23).</i> God expects that our work, whether driving a truck, sweeping floors, or managing investments, will be carried out with excellence.

<b>Strengthening God's Church</b> <i>Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).</i> Dr. Charles Stanley says Paul reveals three simple ways to strengthen the Church.

<b>Finding Favor with God</b> <i>The LORD said, ''I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created... I am sorry I ever made them.'' But Noah found favor with the LORD (Genesis 6:7-8).</i> Unfortunately, in our cynical culture, we often overlook the most basic examples of the Lord’s kindness.

November 2005

<b>The Gift of Prophecy</b> <i>God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you (Romans 12:6).</i> To employ spiritual gifts properly, we must walk closely with the Spirit.

<b>Our Teacher</b> <i>When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting His own ideas; He will be telling you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future (John 16:13).</i> One of the Holy Spirit’s roles is to illumine the truths of Scripture to us.

<b>Fellowship with Jesus</b> <i>Martha came to Jesus and said, ''Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me'' (Luke 10:40).</i> To know Christ more intimately, we must spend time with Him.

<b>God Is Our Keeper</b> <i>God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).</i> Is there a trial that you have been facing for a long period of time? Let these words of Charles Spurgeon reassure you that God is truly your keeper...

<b>Recognizing the Voice of God</b> <i>Jesus replied, ''You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being'' (Matthew 16:17)</i> To recognize God’s voice, we first set our minds on His interests rather than our own.

<b>God’s Goal In Communicating</b> <i>If you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law – the law that sets you free – and if you <b>do what it says</b> and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it (James 1:25).</i> Comprehending God’s Word will help you become a doer of God’s Word.

<b>Shutting Our Ears to God</b> <i>For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance (James 1:23).</i> When we fail to listen to the Lord, we pay attention to wrong voices, fall prey to deception, and refuse to submit to His will.

<b>When We Cry Out to God</b> <i>I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me (Psalm 57:2).</i> Whether we are sinking in a sea of pain or anxiously seeking a taste of God’s living water, the Lord hears our cries.

<b>A Compass for Life's Journey</b> <i>Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).</i> Biblically speaking, to walk due north is to follow the path of righteousness.

<b>A Passion to Know Him</b> <i>We put no confidence in human effort. Instead, we boast about what Christ Jesus has done for us (Philippians 3:3).</i> Paul had more reasons than any of us today to glory in his accomplishments, and yet he made it clear that his resumé meant nothing to him.

September 2005

<b>God's Goal for My Life</b> <i>And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And He gave them right standing with Himself, and He promised them His glory (Romans 8:30).</i> Heartache and failure play just as important part in our lives as do great accomplishments.

<b>Listening Carefully to God</b> <i>For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance (James 1:23)</i> There are two types of listeners — passive and assertive. Both appear to be concentrating, but their mindsets are quite different.

<b>What It Means to Follow Christ</b> Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father (John 15:4,8).</i> The greatest hindrance to our peace and victory is the flesh.

<b>Avoiding Enslavement to Sin</b> <i>Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by any evil. Rescue me from the oppression of evil people; then I can obey your commandments (Psalm 119:133-134).</i> Ensnarement happens slowly, beginning with a thought. Over time, unless the thought is eradicated, contemplation turns to action.

<b>The God Who Speaks</b> <i>In these days, God has spoken to us through his Son. He promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He made the universe and everything in it (Hebrews 1:2).</i> The Lord still speaks today. The written Word of God is our primary source for hearing from Him.

<b>Fulfillment of the Empty Life</b> <i>Jesus replied, ''People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life'' (John 4:13-14).</i>

August 2005

<b>How to Listen to God</b> <i>The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I do not rebel or turn away (Isaiah 50:5).</i> Communicating with the Lord involves both speaking and listening. Most of us are better at talking. But God intends for His children to hear His voice.

<b>Blessing Our Enemies</b> <i>But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:27-28).</i> We may never face a beating for our faith, but we will run across people who hate us. The easy response is to dislike them.

<b>What it Means to Follow Christ</b> <i>Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you (Psalm 37:5).</i> God has chosen you as His beloved. He will not leave you without hope, even if it feels as though you are trapped in the furnace of affliction.

<b>Joining the Right Church</b> <i>I know full well that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some of you will distort the truth in order to draw a following (Acts 20:29-30).</i> Here are three criteria to help you determine if your place of worship is up to biblical standards.

<b>The Cost of Compromise</b> <i>The LORD had clearly instructed his people not to intermarry with those nations, because the women they married would lead them to worship their gods. Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway (1 Kings 11:2).</i> Should Christians just relax their worldview and forget the Lord's commands? Solomon's example suggests not.

<b>An Invitation to Intimacy</b> <i>Then the LORD told Abram, ''Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you'' (Genesis 12:1).</i> God does not play favorites, but in order to accomplish His perfect will, He makes divine choices based on certain factors.

<What Makes a Heart Harden?</b> <i>You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called today, so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God (Hebrews 3:13).</i> A heart that steels itself against God’s voice can become progressively resistant and calloused until it can no longer hear.

<b>Time Well Spent</b> <i>I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings (Psalm 63:6-7).</i> Communicating with God is always a benefit and a blessing. The believer who spends time alone with his Father can expect rich rewards.

<b>The Pathway to Peace</b> <i>Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6).</i> When our natural cares get out of balance, the result is anxiety. The apostle Paul faced an inordinate number of trials, and yet he was able to say, ''Be anxious for nothing.''

<b>How To Save a Nation</b> <i>Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14)</i> We must remember that whoever is in authority over us is placed there by God.

<b>A God We Can Trust</b> <i>They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They have made an idol shaped like a calf, and they have worshiped and sacrificed to it, saying, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt' (Exodus 32:8). Our trust in God is based upon His unchanging character. He loves us, forgives us, and provides for our needs.</i>

<b>Our Casual View of Sin</b> <i>Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? (Romans 6:1)</i> Believers recognize the depravity of sin but many continue to have a careless attitude about it. If we are honest with ourselves about the nature of disobedience, we know the issue is not so simple.

June 2005

<b>Facing Challenges</b> <i>Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. Protect me from wicked people who attack me, from murderous enemies who surround me (Psalm 17:8-9).</i> We all struggle through some hardship in our lives. Our first instinct should be to pray, but the manner in which we pray is also important.

<b>Handing Down Our Faith</b> <i>You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today (Deuteronomy 6:6).</i> The idea of leaving an inheritance prompts people to think of possessions, property, and money to be divided among family members. As believers, we need to contemplate the spiritual heritage we leave behind.

<b>How the Truth Can Set You Free</b> <i>Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?</i> Your position in Christ has nothing to do with your feelings. Are you going to trust your feelings, the past, or what the Word of God says?

<b>A God We Can Trust</b> <i>Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act (Psalm 37:4-5).</i> We must be careful whom we trust in this world, but there is someone who keeps every promise, never lies, and refuses to break a confidence.

<b>Keeping Grace Flowing</b> <i>James 4:1-6.</i> While you can never lose your salvation, you can dam up the grace of God in your life by your attitudes and behavior. Proverbs 6:16-17 states that God hates pride.

<b>Family Influence: Good or Bad?</b> <i>1 Kings 15, 16.</i> In these two chapters, we see the result of careless parenting — most of the sons emulated the evil deeds of their fathers. As believers, we certainly try to ensure our children do not inherit sinful ways from us, but we must be equally committed to modeling right behavior.

<b>The Struggle of the Flesh</b> <i>Ephesians 2:1-10</i> The goal of the flesh is to elevate the self. The reason we call it the flesh is because it has to do with our fallen nature, which is in direct opposition to the things of God.

<b>The Holy Spirit's Presence</b> <i>John 16:7-15</i> Although Jesus had spent three years teaching the disciples, He knew that human understanding and strength would not be enough for the tasks ahead. They would need a divine companion to guide them. So do we.

<b>A God You Can Count On</b> <i>Hebrews 10:19-23</i> We serve a God whose character is flawless, whose actions are perfect, and who keeps every promise. He is <i>the same yesterday and today and forever.</i>